Night of Ashes
by Tiana Lanster
Summary: One night was enough for Peter Parker's life to be broken. One night was enough for the young boy to lose his freedom. One night was enough for hatred to make him want to fight. And one night was enough for him to regain his freedom.
1. Fire

_Greetings to all._

_This is the first time I translate one of my stories (since I am a French author). My original text is "Nuit de cendres" which is already posted in french, but I wanted to improve in writing in English._

_It's a story about the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Peter Parker as the main character. The plot of "Peter was trained by HYDRA, but was saved afterwards by the SHIELD and the Avengers" isn't new. But it's an interesting base to create a story. Consider this fiction as the "first part" of my AU "Lost Emotion"._

_If you spot any mistakes, please tell me._

_(All the characters belongs to Marvel, except 16 original characters.)_

* * *

Peter Benjamin Parker. This is how I was called at birth.

As far as I can remember, I have always lived alongside my entire family : my parents Richard and Mary, my aunt May and my uncle Ben. At that time, I was a kind and shy little boy, who didn't require any special attention. I never cried to tears or made a tantrum, scrupulously respecting the instructions and warnings of my blood relatives.

Our life was simple and modest, in the borough of Queens.

I loved my father's humor, particular for some but still managing to make me laugh. Even when I was sad, he snatched me a smile every time because of his comical clumsiness. My mother was the one who spent the most time with me. She cuddled me with tenderness and attention, not hesitating to stay long hours by my side after a horrible nightmare. My aunt scared me at times when she got angry, but I loved her wild spirit. As for my uncle, he was an humble and calm man, always the right word and never giving in to the slightest provocation or threat.

They were my guardian angels. Being with them was enough to fill me with happiness.

When I could read, write, and talk correctly at only three years old due to be a precocious child, I began to devour all the books within my reach. I spent endless hours confined in my room, contemplating the illustrations of children's stories and reading short novels I could easily understand. Certainly, I enjoyed playing outside, but I preferred the tranquility of my personal space to the monotony of the public garden three blocks away of our house.

One day, while paying attention to the television, I saw a report on Stark Industries and its eccentric CEO named Tony Stark. I couldn't catch a lot of informations, except the praise of the boss of the company. He described himself as a "genius, playboy, philanthropist, billionaire". And it was a shock when he confessed to the public he was the superhero Iron Man, thus boosting his already recognized popularity all around the world. Instantly, I admired this man. My heart exalted when I saw the images of his red and yellow armor flying in the sky and firing with his repulsors. His heroic deeds filled several pages of magazines, which I never tired of reading again and again until I knew them by heart. I also had fun imitating Iron man in the living room, and my family played along with me, which made me really happy.

When night fell, the moon could be seen from the window of my room. I took in the hollow of my hands a small object shining with the luminous circle : a crystal fragment, cut in the shape of a diamond with a spherical angle, tied around my neck like a pendant. I have always possessed it since my birth. So, the innocent little boy I was prayed every night before sleep, the jewel warmly covered with my fingers and my heart filled with hope.

_It doesn't matter that I can never see Iron Man in any other way than on television. I don't care about wealth or fame... All I wish is to be happy with the people I love._

And then, time stopped when I was eight years old.

I was sick, bedridden because of a cold. May and Ben used to take care of me when that happened, since my parents often came home late because of their work. This time, all my blood relatives were at home to heal me, each one in turn.

My head hurt too much to sleep, so I just stared at the sky behind my window for long hours. Suddenly, a loud sound of broken glass burst on the floor below, making my heart jump. After that, male voices roared threats in an unknown language. Sensing a danger, I took off my blankets in a flash and hide deep inside the closet. I was terrified, completely motionless...

The door of my room opened in a hellish crash. Heavy footsteps swept over the space, and I heard through the closet furnitures falling on the floor, drawers opening with frenzy and my belongings destroyed. They were searching in every corner of my room. My heartbeat intensified...

_Don't come here, don't come here, don't come here... _I repeated in my mind, eyes closed, breathless and curled in ball like a cat.

For what seemed like an eternity, the strangers muttered things between them, and they finally left the room after several minutes. The adrenaline that had taken me before evaporated, and I sighed with relief. When I get out of the closet, my eyes widened when I discovered my room completely upside down, as if a storm had brutally ravaged everything in its path. Drops of sweat soaked my forehead because of fear and my weakened health. I didn't knew the identity of these guys or what was their goal, but only one thought remained clear in my mind: I had to run away.

I staggered down the stairs so fast that I was stumbling a few times. It was only after I'd passed the last step that I noticed blood flowing on the floor. I was trembling at this sight, almost out of breath... After a moment of hesitation, I walked in the hallway. When I turned my gaze to the living room, my legs collapsed on the ground and my face turned white... I couldn't believe what I saw.

The lifeless bodies of my parents, uncle and aunt, lying on the ground, bleeding and riddled with bullets.

_No... It's not true... It can't be true... It's a nightmare..._

No sound came out of my mouth. I didn't even have the strength to scream.

I slowly crawled near my mother's corpse, totally ignoring my legs and hands bathing in blood. Her messy hair and the red color that covered her didn't prevent me from seeing her face... Eyes closed, livid skin and a dull and pained expression. The same traits were found on my father, May and Ben.

It was at that time that I realized they were dead. Sadness overwhelmed me and burst into tears at the corners of my eyelids.

**"Mom... Dad... May... Ben..."** I whispered between my lips, my lungs burning.

I was unable to move. My body was cold. A horrible sensation of nausea rose in me as I breathed the disgusting smell of the living room, but I held myself not to throw up on the dirty floor. Suddenly, a shiver ran through my spine, as if my conscience suddenly awoke. I slowly turned my head behind me... Four men were armed with pistols, dressed in a black outfit with a strange emblem on the left forearm that I couldn't see. One of them was a little ahead of the other three. His dark eyes were devoid of humanity or remorse.

The chief stared at me with an impassible and terribly calm look, then he gave an order to one of his colleagues. The latter executed himself, his gun pointed on my forehead.

Suddenly, I became fully aware of the situation I was... These guys weren't thieves but murderers. Someone sent them to kill my parents, May and Ben. And now that it was done, they would eliminate any witness of their crime... I realized that I was going to be the next to die.

All my senses faded, as if my mind had separated from reality and had abandoned my body... My vision was blurred by tears and I waited for my end, mentally formulating a desperate prayer :

_Help me…_

In a single second, the wall on my left burst into a thousand pieces. I quickly covered my face before the dust blinded me, which wasn't the case of the four men who began to cough and growl like wild beasts. Fear forbade me to look at what was happening, so I continued to hide my gaze as deafening bangs echoed through the hollow of my eardrums, mixed with the strangled cries of the murderers. This cacophony lasted only a few moments before being quiet.

Once I had recovered from the shock of this intervention, I removed my trembling arms and instinctively looked up to the one who'd saved me... And what I saw remained forever etched in my memory.

A helmet with bright eyes. A red and golden armor which belonged to only one person in this world.

Iron Man.

My idol was there, right in front of me. I couldn't turn my eyes away from him, too shaken to make any movement... In any other circumstance, I would have jumped of joy, asked him hundreds of questions and screamed that it was the best day of my life. However, the blood on my skin reminded me that I was the only survivor of a tragedy.

The superhero turned at me after finding out that the assassins were unconscious.

**"You're not hurt, kid ?"** _He said._

This sentence woke me up from the shock, and I nodded quickly. Suddenly, a distant and regular sound made its way to my ears... I didn't pay attention to it because of the events that happened earlier. It sounded like a clock, which was strange since the house didn't have a watchmaker. When I carefully focused on the nature of the noise, it sounded more like a countdown. It was then that I understood, and I threw a panicked look at Iron Man... He didn't need more to deduce what it was, and he pressed me strongly against him before evacuating quickly with his repulsors.

And before we knew it, a blazing explosion rang out.

The blast of the explosion was so powerful that the armor lost its balance and crashed violently on the ground. I found myself lying on the grass, half-sounded. I gathered all the strength I had left to get up. The air around me was suffocating. Flames and smoke rose in the black sky, where I saw the burnt remains of the walls and foundations of the house where I grew up. The smiling faces of my family reappeared in my mind for a very short moment, then their portraits deteriorated through the crackling fire.

At that moment, my heartbeat fell silent.

I let myself fall on the ground. The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was a siren and a distant mechanical voice.


	2. Orphan

When I opened my eyes, I was resting in a hospital bed. A doctor in the room noticed my signs of awakening and came to inform me that I had no serious injuries, except a slight stroke on my temple. Since I was still cold and weak because of what I'd experienced the day before, the medical staff felt it was necessary for me to stay at the facility until the illness started to go away.

Bleak days began to flow slowly, one after the other. I spent hours lying on the bed, watching the ceiling, my eyes empty and my mind totally disconnected from the sanitized environment around me. Even though I shed tears, I remained motionless and haggard. Between a few bitter medicines and portions of food that I was struggling to swallow, a psychotherapist and a social worker visited me regularly to take care of my file. Our conversations lasted about one hour or two, and both of them became aware of my precociousness when I loquaciously talked about the tragedy that had fallen on that night : my hiding in the closet, the red blood on the floor, the monstrous faces of the four strangers who took the lives of those who were dear to me, the gun close to my face, Iron Man, the fire... They listened in silence, without judgment or condescension, but I could read pity in their eyes, which made me feel even more miserable than I already was. I quickly end up avoiding eye contact with anyone.

It was only the day before I left the hospital that police officers came to meet me and tell me the results of their investigation : A half destroyed explosive device was dug up from the debris of my old house gone in smoke. It was a time bomb loaded with nitroglycerin, the detonation which caused the fire and panic in the heart of Queens. It took several hours to the firefighters to take down the flames. Following this, eight burnt bodies emerged from the rubbles. Richard, Mary, Benjamin and May Parker could be detected by rare intact DNA traces and the many shots that riddled them. For the rest, the identity and motive of the assassins remained a mystery.

The agents asked me a few questions about what had happened before the incident. My answer was nothing but the truth : the criminals who annihilated my family almost killed me, and I owe my life to Iron Man. Given the accuracy of my testimony and the firefighters who actually saw the hero by my side during the fire, the peacekeepers took my story seriously and assured me that the press will not be aware of my identity, since I was a minor. I simply nodded to thanks them.

The day after the interview, I finally left the hospital. The social worker was waiting for me. He solemnly announced me the verdict of my file: since all the members of my family were dead and no one had the means to take care of me, it was decided that I join an orphanage. I looked at him indifferently, then followed him to his car without saying a word. What could I have done, anyway ?

We rolled under a cloudy and rainy sky. A slow, melodic piece of jazz sounded through the radio. My eyes were lost beyond the window, looking tiredly at the houses, while I pressed between my fingers the only memory I had of my past childhood : my crystal pendant. Despite the warmth of my palms, the touch of the gemstone was cold. After long minutes of traffic, the car ends up parking in a parking lot. The social worker led me to a large four-storey building surrounded by several red brick houses. Their identical architectures and their shimmering color contrasted with the gray and harsh tones of the rest of New York. I quickly recognized the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, located on the other side of Queens.

We entered the building, where a young woman around forty years old received us warmly. She introduced herself as the director of the Forescent Orphanage by the name of Susan Sandfield, and told me that I was welcome here. Then, the two adults discuss on several things, especially about paperwork. I just kept my head down, paying no attention to the conversation.

After signing some documents, the social worker who accompanied me since my hospitalization went away in silence, leaving me now in charge of the orphanage. Once he left, I glared at Mrs. Sandfield, somewhat apprehensive... It was not uncommon to hear circulating terrible stories of kidnappings or mistreatment in institution for abandoned children. The hypothesis of having fallen into a sort of prison run by twisted persons who gave themselves the appearance of saints in the eyes of the public gave me cold sweats... The young woman seemed to notice my fears, and gave me a kind smile . She made me visit the entire establishment, which consisted of three areas : the dormitories of boys and girls separated into two parallel opposite buildings, the central building where was the entrance, a cafeteria, a library, a psychologist's office and several small activity rooms such as sports and music, and finally a courtyard where children could play and get some fresh air.

The anxiety that haunted my mind gradually faded as we wandered down the halls. The director was sincerely kind and considerate of the orphans, and there was no suspicion of any abusive or harsh behavior.

After half an hour, Mrs. Sandfield finally took me to my new room, at the end of the second floor of the boy's dormitory. I was surprised to see that it was an individual room, and that it was the same for all the other rooms in the orphanage. It was spacious and clean, with a dominant beige color, with toilet and shower, and a large window littered in the alcove of a wall where a small rectangular elevation was built to sit. The director informed me of the rules to follow in the institution in a calm and understandable way, then she went back to her office by closing the door. I was suddenly exhausted by the car ride, so I sat close to the window to rest and let time pass until dinner time.

That's how my life at the Forescent Orphanage began.

I quickly became acclimated to this new environment and way of life that was both free and ordered, thanks to my wise and obedient nature. I also discovered that many orphans of the institution were precocious children like me. However, I remained completely silent for more than a month, too apathetic to even try to approach my comrades of misfortunes. Apart from the polite expressions and answers to questions I was asked, I spent most of the time confined in my room, contemplating the courtyard or reading books in the library. As a result, I was unable to form true bonds with the other children.

Around November, during discussions with the management of the orphanage, I officially obtained a new identity : Thomas Flanders. Mrs. Sandfield had offered to preserve the name "Peter Parker" if I wanted, but I refused. Thanks to this new name, I was able to go out of the orphanage and join a reputable school in our neighborhood with fifteen other kids : Leon East, Noah Faraday, Evan North, Sebastian Marsh, Allen Cooper, Caleb Graham, Jonathan Harrisson, Phoebe Rosenbach, Amber Stewart, Rebecca Hall, Ellen Wright, Kenna Hunter, Lauren Mason, Meghan Reyes and Jessie Opal. We studied History, science, physics, chemistry, sport, foreign languages, art and culture, all adapted to our global developed intellectual level.

Since we were always together, both during and after school, I gradually learned to memorize the face and the distinct personality of each of my companions. Leon, my roommate who was one year older than me, immediately noticed my lonely behavior, closely followed by Phoebe. Then, both of them stuck with me in all circumstances, be it at Forescent or outside, even breaking the curfew and going into my room at night to tell stories or pass on information about our activities of the next day. It didn't take long for the rest of the band to do the same and sympathize with the shy little boy I was. At first I was confused by my comrades's attention to me, but their presence appeared familiar and reassuring to me in a few weeks.

When people looked at us, there was nothing to differentiate us from the other children : we were all normaly dressed, each one having his own style. Our school supplies and backpacks were just as ordinary as our clothes. There was a good alchemy in our class, we laughed together and we liked to discuss about things that interested us like movies, series or books. Well, if there is an almost perfect harmony between us, it's because we all share a common point... Being an orphan. Since we didn't have families to look after us and lived in an environment that promotes humility and respect for others, we were more independent than the "normal" students in the school. There was no hierarchy or judgment between us... More than orphanage boarders, we were siblings. United by the silent suffering of becoming alone in the world all of a sudden, victim of a sad trick of fate.

And so, time passed like sands falling in an hourglass. I grew up surrounded by my friends, and my life at Forescent went wonderfully well. Some bullies's words and mockery weren't always easy to bear, but it didn't affect our daily lives. I even found myself smiling on rare occasions, especially when I heard the crazy ideas of my partner in crime Leon. Then, in the dim light of my room, a small flame of hope began to light in my heart.

_Maybe everything will be fine now_, I thought, squeezing the glittering pendant in my hands, staring at the night sky.

What a fool...

I was 11 years old. It had been three years since the orphanage gathered me. The visits of foster families was common at Forescent, but few of them resulted in adoptions. The reasons for this were essentially administrative : the background investigations of the parents were strict and took time to conclude. Other reasons, more personal, aimed at the demands of the families... Many of them specified what kind of children they want to adopt. Mrs. Sandfield immediately rejected these kind of requests. It was out of the question for her to let an orphan leave with strangers she wasn't sure they wouldn't cause any trouble to the child.

Even though our daily life was something of a routine, something attracted our attention... A group of volunteers worked part-time at Forescent. One of them, a middle-aged man, was distinguished by his lack of expression and his strange eyes. He watched us at length, from near and far, without saying a word. It was impossible to know if he was doing this by nature or if it was a tick. Still, everyone was uncomfortable to feel his hollow eyes staring at us when we wandered in the corridors...

One day, however, this atypical man has stopped coming. No more piercing eyes at the corners of the walls, no ghostly comings and goings... Nothing. All the children were relieved at the announcement of this news, including myself. But I couldn't help thinking that there was something fishy behind this disappearance... What reasons did this man have to leave ? Why did he keep looking at the children as if he was looking for something out of them ? Deep in me, I wasn't really calm. Nevertheless, I let these questions evaporate from my head, and everything came back to normal.

Two weeks passed after the departure of the strange man. A torrential rain fell on New York for several days. As a result, all orphans were forbidden to go out of the orphanage because of the risk of flooding.

I watched the drops of rain slowly run down the window of my room, wrapped in warm blankets like a protective cocoon. My pendant knotted at my neck warmed gently on my skin (I always hide my gemstone under my clothes). With the big gray clouds that covered the sky all the time, it was hard to know if it was day or night. However, a simple look at the little clock stuck on the wall opposite of my bed was enough to find my landmarks. The clockwise indicated 23 hours.

The sound of the elements soothed my ears, and my eyes were marveled by the droplets of water beading the glass. Suddenly, a burning sensation took hold of my nostrils. It was odorless and incredibly strong. Even putting a hand on my face didn't diminish the pain I felt. My nose began to hurt, and my head grew heavier. I wanted to get up to find the source of this horrible sensation, but the pain became even more acute with my feet on the ground. My sight was troubled, and my legs no longer had the strength to support me. I fell on the ground, half conscious. It was only when I saw a microscopic device no bigger than a pill close to me that a flash of lucidity struck me : I knew what made me amorphous in a few seconds...

The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness for good was a heavy footstep and a dismal whisper :

**"Hail HYDRA."**


	3. Hatred

A room without windows, gray and cold, whose artificial light changed color to indicate day or night.

This was my new private lair inside the HYDRA's Ichor base, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

The first time I woke up in this room, I didn't immediately understand what had happened to me. I was completely dizzy, my eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness of the light. And then, I remembered bits of memories buried deep inside my head... I saw myself younger, alone at home, curiously entering the room of my parents. My eyes looked at every corner until I heard a crumpled paper noise under my foot. I took the paper in my hands and read it. The only words I could distinguish were "HYDRA", "criminal organization" and "worldwide threat".

When these words reappeared before my eyes, I instantly recovered my spirits and lifted myself from the bed, panting. The events of last night came back with a crash, like a violent slap in the face... I was kidnapped. My heart beat wildly in my chest. Innumerable questions flared in my head...

_How did HYDRA heard about the Forescent Orphanage ? Why did they kidnap me ? What do they want from me ?_

At the edge of a panic attack, I suddenly remembered the face of the man with empty eyes who watched the children at the institution... This stealthy memory made me understand everything : the weird volunteer with blank stares was a spy of HYDRA. He acted as mouth and ears for the criminal organization to spot their future victims at the orphanage. And after a short reflection, it became clear to me that he was also the responsible of my kidnapping. Only a clever mind could build a small narcoleptic gas diffuser to catch their prey by surprise.

I barely had time to think further that the door of the room opened with a thud. My heart skipped a beat. A big man with a high-ranking uniform stared at me from above through the frame of the door like a vulture turning around a helpless little animal... He then spoke, in a deep voice :

**"You finally woke up. Follow me."**

I obeyed without flinching. We'd wandered in the long corridors of the base for a while, until finally arriving at a laboratory. The numerous machines in the big room and the frozen blue neons gave me cold sweats. A scientist saw our arrival, and seemed pleased to have a new test subject for his inventions... He spoke briefly with the big man, then the latter left by closing the door. After that, the scientist looked at me in all my features, eyes both detached and intense... His visual analysis lasted only a few seconds, but it was the longest seconds of my life.

**"Your body is kinda frail, but from what our mole reported, you look smart and resourceful..."**

He paused. The shadow of a smile appeared on his lips.

**"I feel that you are not a kid like the others... It can be seen in your eyes. Maybe you could be useful for us, kiddo."**

Without even having time to react, the scientist snapped his fingers and two HYDRA agents sprang up inside the laboratory to prevent me from fleeing. They dragged me to a sophisticated operating table, attaching my feet, grips, and neck so that I was perfectly still, before finally sticking tape on my mouth. My brain was fluttering hundred miles an hour, so was my breathing. A small part of my being clung to a tiny possibility of a miracle, but fear soon enveloped my entire body... And when the scientist approached me with multiple syringes filled with colorless liquids, Looking at me like a rat to dissect, my bright childhood memories were covered with a harsh and ashy hue...

This crazy man drugged me and experimented on my body for long hours.

After having completely emptied me of all energy, one of the assistants of my executioner took me back to the gray room where I had previously woken up. He put me down on the bed, then left without a word. I quickly concluded that this kind of cell was my new individual place. My face was drowned in tears, wincing with sadness and pain...

Why did such a thing have to happen ?

How could my destiny have gone wrong ?

Just three years ago, I was just an ordinary boy, covered with love by my family. I was just living a normal life with my parents, uncle and aunt... So why did I lost everything ? Why my family died ? Why did people wanted to kill me, then turn me into a guinea pig ?

Why, why, why ?

As questions accumulated in my head, I felt something fall from my pants pocket and roll to my fingers... It was my pendant. I'd hidden it without the knowledge of the guard who guide me to the laboratory so that HYDRA couldn't put his hands on it. Fortunately, these monsters didn't notice anything. I took the crystal in my hands and watched it at length... Since the fire of Queens, this necklace has never left me. If it hadn't been there, God knows if I would have survived the mad scientist's torture session, or if I would have been saved in time by Iron Man when the murderers of my family wanted to put me six feet under. It was almost miraculous...

Suddenly, I began to realize the magnitude of the situation I was. HYDRA was a powerful criminal organization implanted all over the world. Like the Hydra of Lerna, cutting off one of his heads made him repel two others. Their presence was both ubiquitous and invisible... They committed their crimes in absolute secrecy, without ever leaving any trace of their misdeeds behind them.

My mind was gradually enveloped in a white mist. My eyes widened, while my pendant escaped from my hands.

I was an orphan. I didn't have a family anymore. Any piece of identification proving my existence had disappeared with the explosion of my house. The name "Peter Parker" was no longer listed, and "Thomas Flanders" was known by too few people to launch a search.

HYDRA knew it... They knew about the flaws in the childcare system and the administration. Who would think of finding an orphan without a face ? It would be like looking for an oasis in a desert. I was also locked in a sea base lost in the middle of the ocean, thousands of miles from the United States... How dare to believe that someone would found me without any information about me ? It was simply impossible.

The horror of my condition suddenly appeared to me.

_I am a John Doe. A prisoner condemned to obey or to die. Nobody knows where I am. Nobody knows that I exist. Nobody will come to save me from this hell._

The last fragment of innocence that lay in the depths of my soul broke in a thousand pieces. The beatings of my heart have since stopped ringing in my ears.

From human, I became a tool.

To live, I passed to survive.

HYDRA enroled me by force the day after that nightmarish night. The senior officers of the organization quickly realized that I wouldn't fit as a soldier, but that didn't stop them from continuing their experiences on me, intensifying one after the other. The result was beyond their expectations : the accumulated drugs made my body more resistant, my intuition more accurate and my good memory became a photographic memory. My slow metamorphosis comforted them in the idea of making me an exceptional spy. I was soon conditioned to hacking and infiltration. I discovered my natural ability to decrypt codings and hack complex systems. Soon, I was initiated to the handling of weapons in the custody of the most powerful operative of the criminal organization: the Winter Soldier. The latter led me to use daggers, pistols and long-range rifles, as well as various combat techniques.

Training, hacking, mission, report. That was my everyday life at HYDRA.

The notion of time became abstract since my capture. Days, weeks, maybe months passed without I notice. However, I didn't care about it... I've abandoned long time ago the idea of being saved by any outside person. What good is it to vainly cling to a dream that something or someone would come to me when I didn't exist in the eyes of the world ? It was painful and unrealistic. And even if I managed to escape from HYDRA and run away, I would have nowhere to go... There was no way out of my destiny, which I knew already sealed. Then I let the time go by silently, staring blankly at my body growing and changing.

In an environment as anxiogenic and hermetic as a maritime base held by the greatest criminals of History, human feelings had no place. I had understood this since my first experimentation session by the mad scientist... Only the law of the strongest counts : those who have a steel mind remain, those who are psychologically weak die. My emotions faded away as the days passed, slowly, like an open sore bleeding blood... I couldn't feel any sensation, even physical pain. I even lost the ability to feel sad or cry... After several weeks, I had become a doll, silent and cold, empty from the outside as well as from the inside. Even though I wore a warm and thermoregulatory uniform created with my own hands, my body and my heart were constantly frozen.

One year after being a spy, HYDRA was satisfied with my skills and agreed to send me on missions outside the base of Ichor, while I was simply a "land mole" (I was only doing remote hacking, and not directly on the ground). I was 12 years old. I joined a small team of experienced spies under the codename Black Cat, which was responsible for unlocking the way to the rest of the members and recovering data from any existing database. Of course, many of thrm didn't understand the decision of the chiefs of the organization to enlist a kid in an elite external unit, as talented and intelligent as he is... Nevertheless, I didn't care. I just did what I had to do to survive. That's all.

One day, a special mission was entrusted to our team : Operation Chameleon. The goal was to infiltrate the heart of a laboratory named Oscorp and bring back rare materials and chemicals products. I didn't try to understand the details of this project, the outline was enough for me.

... I didn't know at the time that this mission was going to change my fate forever.

Our team was transported by military aircraft out of Ichor. A dormant cell on American soil was waiting for us to stay out of sight. Once arrived at Oscorp, two members of our unit distracted the security inside the premises to allow us to enter the research rooms. I left alone at the end of a corridor to hack databases, when suddenly my attention turned to a metal door. For a strange reason, it intrigued me... I felt that something mysterious was hiding behind the silver frame.

I felt a ball form in the hollow of my belly... Because of the many sessions of torture that I suffered by the mad scientist, I ended up developing a sickly fear laboratories. The white glow and the sanitized smell of these places also reminded me of the time I spent in this hospital room, after the death of my family...

Part of my mind dictated me that I shouldn't be curious and concentrate on the mission, but I couldn't bring myself to do that... Something unknown drew me through this room, like a moth attracted by the light. I wanted to know what was inside. In addition, the chaos of the environment was a huge delay for the members of the unit because of the vastness of the Oscorp complex and scientists desperate to defend their research center. Time was running out. So I didn't think long. I inhaled deeply, then hacked the security system to open the door.

Upon entering the research room, the neon lights were extinguished. Only an huge tank enthroned in its center emitted a blue glow. DNA patterns were animated through a holographic projection on the ground. I quickly deduced that this place was to be used for genetic experiments. I put my thermal vision and infrared glasses - also created with my own hands, then I cautiously inspected the laboratory thoroughly... I couldn't help but contemplate with a certain fascination the luminous tub. It was the first time since an eternity that I saw anything other than the gray walls of my cell which served as a room in Ichor. I felt my pendant warm gently against my skin...

I took the initiative to recover the data from the room with my small computer. A few seconds were enough to copy all the lines of codes and documents stored in the heart of the tank. When I was about to leave, I felt something move on my right hand... Intrigued, I looked down at the source of tingling, and I discovered that it was a spider.

_How did she end up there ?_

Usually, my hands were covered with gloves to leave no incongruous fingerprints. Except that I had to remove them to hit the keys on my computer, leaving them uncovered. The spider then took the opportunity to bite me. The pain was so strong that it was almost difficult to hold back a scream. I shook my hand very hard to disengage the animal, while I gazed with a stunned look at the red mark left by the bite. I felt my blood coagulate at full speed, as well as my breathing. I looked again at the spider, very close to me... The latter lay on the ground, inert. She died instantly after injecting her venom. Suddenly, my senses hurt more and more, as if they had been amplified by ten. I had the impression to relive a new experiment of the mad scientist of HYDRA... Except that it was totally involuntary.

The sirens shouted loudly throughout Oscorp. My ears buzzed with all the noise, which accentuated my headaches. I decided to escape with the breakdowns, despite my troubled sight and heavy body. After several suffocating minutes, I finally get out outside, at the same time as the other members of my team who fled the complex. I ran as fast as I could to catch them, and then we went to join the secret base of HYDRA in an armored truck, loaded with sealed boxes. I didn't have the energy to worry about what the elders stole... I was just relieved not to hear any more noise. The adults paid me no attention, as usual, so I took the ride back to rest.

Once removed from any potential danger, our unit commander informed us that Operation Chameleon was a success, despite a strong intervention of the SHIELD. After an endless debriefing which I pretended to listen, he summed up the order of dispersion. Everyone went to bed in order to be in shape for our return to Ichor the next morning. During the night, my body gradually got used to the pain caused by the bite of the spider, due to my body modified by the experiments of HYDRA. However, despite being exhausted by the mission, I couldn't fall asleep... So I looked at my pendant, hidden under my blankets, and the latter emitted a warm heat to the hollow of my hands and a faint white glow, hardly noticeable. I was somewhat surprised. It was the first time I observed this phenomenon on my necklace, which has never shown any paranormal sign since I have it.

A lot of questions goes on and on in my mind, without really finding concrete answers... After long minutes of reflection leading to nothing, I finally sigh of weariness. I gave up the idea of falling asleep, and I quietly left my room to walk in the corridors of the base. There was no patroller that night. For a small dormant cell like this, it wasn't necessary. I got inside a training room, then I leaned against a punching bag to enjoy the silence of the night. Ten minutes passed without anything happening. Suddenly, I heard voices echoing in my ears. I recognized those of the commander of my team and the leader of the dormant cell. Intrigued, I sneaked into the shadows of the corridors, tracing the source of the discussion. When the noises became more and more distinct, I arrived near the meeting room of the base.

_A night discussion between generals... Typical._

I leaned discreetly against a wall, listening for what the two men were saying.

**"So ? Have you analyzed the boxes we stole from Oscorp ?"** _My commander asked the chief of the base._

**"Yes, it was done. As our informants anticipated, these seals contained chemical materials compatible with our Wakandian weapons. If we can improve them with these rare products, then we can use them against the SHIELD and the Avengers."**

Wakandian technology... I was familiar with this kind of thing. It's thanks to those that I was able to create my uniform and my vision glasses all by myself.

**"Let's hope it will be effective... Our fight with the SHIELD delayed my unit during Operation Chameleon. We had survived, but it was difficult without adequate weapons to defend us."**

**"Don't worry, Commander Davis. HYDRA will not be crushed by these idiots of SHIELD and their group of superheroes. We will do everything to eliminate any potential threat to our ambitions. As we did with the Parker 4 years ago."**

I doubted my hearing for a few seconds.

**"Even though we did get rid of the scientists Richard and Mary Parker, as well as a possible "mutant" hidden within this family of four, it still cost us four of our agents. In addition to that, all their research and notebooks disappeared to ashes with their home."** _Retorted Commander Davis._

**"Unfortunate incident, indeed. But their sacrifice will have prevented these troublemakers from helping our long-time enemy, although we can't reuse their creations for the sake of our goals."**

I pressed one hand against my mouth to stifle my breath, while the other clutched at my burning lungs. I'd heard too much... I decided to run away, out of fear of fainting on the spot. I had taken care to walk noiselessly away, but my trembling legs nearly let go of me. I ran into the long corridors of the base towards the dormitories. Once back inside the walls of my room, I slowly slid to the floor, inhaling and exhaling irregularly...

The memories I had buried deep in my soul revived like the fire that ravaged my past. "Richard and Mary Parker", "four years ago", "four agents", "gone to ashes"... These words had the effect of a stab in my heart. I saw myself on my knees near my mother, my body stained with blood... Maculated with the blood of my family. My face drowned in tears and carmine red. My horrified look at the four men who killed them, staring at the gun that was about to take me down without pity...

Suddenly, a white flash appeared before my eyes. I remembered seeing for a short moment a badge on the forearm of one of the murderers. My memory then reconstructed the scene in the smallest details... At that moment, after four years of traumatic amnesia, I knew what the badge was composed of.

A skull with six tentacles.

HYDRA's symbol.

HYDRA were responsible for the deaths of my parents, my uncle and my aunt. This hypothesis had already crossed my mind once or twice during my capture, but now I was certain of it. These demons have taken everything from me... My family, my friends from the orphanage, my childhood, even my body that they modified as they please to turn me into an assassin.

The nausea took hold of my intestines... I folded myself, my head pressed down on my knees and my hands firmly clasped to my skull. My empty heart slowly fills with dark feelings...

Suddenly, my mind stumbled on one information from Commander Davis... "The Parker was a family of four". That wasn't true. I was the son of Richard and Mary Parker, as well as the nephew of Ben and May. We were a family of five... So how was it possible that HYDRA ignores the existence of "Peter Parker" ? Assuming that the organization has agents infiltrated all over the world, why none of them knew that the enemies they tried to eliminate had a child ?

By gradually sticking the pieces of this huge puzzle that was my memories, I finally understand everything...

When I was five, I asked my parents what their job was. They told me that they were scientists in a large laboratory, without ever specifying which one or what was the nature of their research. I didn't try to ask more about it, and I was simply satisfied with these statements. The day I went back to their room to find the crumpled paper talking about HYDRA, another abandoned sheet was also on the floor. A schematic drawing, scribbled with the pen, but I managed to recognize the shape of a spider.

It didn't take long to my brain to link this drawing with the spider that had bitten me... Everything then appeared clear to me. My parents were working for Oscorp in the genetic field, and would have succeeded in modifying the DNA of an arachnid. Recognizing the potential danger of this experiment in wrong hands, they erased the existence of this radioactive spider into the laboratory's databases. And as they did for their creation, they made every effort to "disappear" from HYDRA's radars and to conceal my identity from the eyes of the criminal organization, so that I would be safe from harm. Unfortunately, a spy probably found incomplete notes from my father and mother, misinterpreted them and drew the wrong conclusion that the pair of scientists "hided a mutant". And then, HYDRA summoned the order to annihilate this potential threat by taking the life of the entire Parker family before the so-called "mutant" became too dangerous for them.

My parents knew what would happen to their child if HYDRA came to put their hands on him. They knew that their days were numbered, and that they couldn't escape from their fate... And yet, they sacrificed everything to protect me and allow me to live a happy and carefree childhood.

My family died because of a lie. And I, young boy abandoned by fate, I only fell again and again, covered with wounds, losing any ray of light that I managed to find, until sinking into despair.

A violent anger invaded me, to the point that my breath looked like one of a wild animal. I wanted to rip off my sheets and my pillow, destroy this room in a thousand pieces, put to shreds all that was in my path.

Suddenly, my attention focused on a detail... The bite of the radioactive spider hadn't killed me. If it had been an ordinary venom, I would have been dead for a long time, or at least severely paralyzed. But that wasn't the case at all... My DNA was altered, like the spider when my parents experimented on it. In other words, I had become a mutant... Exactly what HYDRA tried to erase by killing the Parker.

How ironic...

Without knowing it, HYDRA had just left alive the threat they thought they had removed. By making the latter a spy and a powerful hacker, they let grow a virus that was going to program their self-destruction.

It was at this moment that I knew what was the darkness that had seized my broken heart...

Hate.

A pure and blazing hatred.

I wanted revenge. Revenge against HYDRA, against those bastards who thought they could decide the destiny of others and take the life of innocent people, against this organization who though of itself as God.

_I'll make them pay for all the crimes they committed... I won't let them spread the chaos or make new victims on their way. I refuse it !_

I knew that what I was about to do was too ambitious for a 12 year old kid like me, or even suicidal. One mistake could be fatal to me. A single moment of hesitation could send me six feet under... But I was ready to take all the risks. No matter how the road I was going to take was uncertain, I will drag HYDRA into the abyss of the sea.

My pendant will guide me.


	4. Dusk

Escaping the chiefs of HYDRA wasn't easy. They keep an eye on all their agents, new recruits and veterans. Anyone dissenting or with a risk of betrayal was either "put back in its place" - tortured to its last limits - or simply eliminated. However, some divisions were more closely monitored because of their strategic importance within the organization, such as the Tigers (soldiers and assassins), the Foxes (diplomatic officers) and the Owls (the managers of bases and defense plans). The others only served as scouts or carpenters, all like pawns on a chess table : if one of them was killed, he was automatically replaced. The spies were housed in this same brand.

For all the adults of the criminal network, I was just an anonymous and docile mole. My expressionless face and my passive character made me almost invisible. As long as I did my trainings, my assignments and reports, they had no reason to give me any attention.

It was by using their arrogance that I deceived HYDRA's sight.

By spying all the smallest actions of the agents of all factions at a distance, whether at Ichor or in all the bases where I was sent around the world, I knew how surveillance cameras worked, where their paper and digital documents were stored, the flaws of their computer system and the location of all their secret cells, research centers and weapons reserves. The discovery of my spider's powers and my hacker experience helped me a lot in this task.

In a way, the experiments that HYDRA performed on my body dramatically alleviated the side effects of the mutagenic bite. If I hadn't been conditioned to undergo heavy injections, I would've been sick for a week and the senior officers would have begun to suspect something about me. This was fortunately not the case.

Ichor was the main base of these demons, where their strategic and technological heart lies. This was where I had to attack to cause them significant damage.

Every night, just after the patrol of the guards, I discreetly hacked the small camera of my private lair with a modified phone recovered during a mission. I looped the last seconds of recording of me pretending to sleep to give the illusion to the jailers that I was quiet, while I extricated myself out of the room by the ventilation. I reused this trick with all the cameras of the base to "wipe off" my presence of the sentinel's eyes. Once done, I had the freedom to walk wherever I wanted. My main hiding places were vaults containing rare or extraterrestrial materials, as they were isolated from any outside frequency. The electric waves spread only inside these places, and not beyond. It was therefore impossible for the security guards to trace my hacking devices.

I took advantage of this access to these precious metals to upgrade my uniform. Long-range earmuffs, connected gloves, optimized wristbands and force field generator, reliable glasses... My laptop was also improved by these technologies from elsewhere. In addition to a pistol that I always kept in my possession, I also made explosives, small smoke bombs, narcoleptic gas sprays, a hand-held taser, and syringes filled with amnesic products. I had made a real arsenal.

However, I knew that I couldn't defeat an empire like HYDRA alone. Even with my increased physical and intellectual faculties and my military training, I wouldn't have the strength to stand up to an army of elite assassins much older and experienced than me. I needed help. And there was only one organization in the world able to fight HYDRA at equal power... SHIELD. They knew the existence of the criminal network for a long time and had links with several government security agencies, as well as advanced military weapons. By digging into their databases a bit, they reportedly carried out interventions against HYDRA since World War Two, resulting in more than a hundred attacks and arrested or killed agents. If the majority of them had caused a lot of losses to the skulled organization, it didn't really weaken over time... The SHIELD had understood that it wasn't necessary to cut the heads of the Hydra but they couldn't pin down the real weak points of the ancient creature to kill it.

I knew that I wasn't in a Star Wars movie where there was clearly defined good guys and bad guys. The SHIELD was probably not exempt from questionable behavior, or even using lies to preserve their secrets. Nevertheless, I didn't care... I had already decided to face all the dangers to carry my revenge, even death.

From then on, I talked with SHIELD under the code name "Caïn". I gave them all the secret information that I held by various means, mainly in Morse code and implementation of files in their computer core. Everything was summed up in every detail, in all transparency. My pendant emitted the same white glow with each shipment, like a comforting sign. As I pressed the keys of my hacking devices day by day, I prayed internally that my messages would be taken seriously... If I couldn't convince SHIELD of my betrayal towards HYDRA, I would lose my one and only chance to beat them. Fortunately, Agent Coulson - my most recurrent correspondent - didn't ignore any of my reports, especially regarding spies infiltrated within their organization or their allied agencies. Over a hundred thousand agents were arrested. Their 'evil inside' now being eliminated, the cells of HYDRA were just waiting to be destroyed. SHIELD took care of the direct attacks, me of the internal parasitism.

One day, during a rather complex piracy in an encrypted zone of the computer core of HYDRA, I learned the true identity of the Winter Soldier : it was Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes, soldier of the 107th Infantry Regiment and friend of Steve Rogers, known as Captain America. The conditions for his optimization, his brainwashing and regular cryostasis were also listed. This news surprised me... If it was difficult to deny a form of pride to have been trained by a hero of World War Two, anger quickly overwhelmed me by noting the horrors HYDRA did to turn him into an assassin. These filthy dogs reveled in ruthlessly crushing the lives of their victims to convert them to their corrupt ideals... It made me sick. I refused to let them continue to use Barnes as a tool.

So I followed him during one of his missions in Eastern Europe, where I also had by chance a task of recognition in the surroundings. I nervously waited for him to return to one of the HYDRA cells in the area to ambush him in an armory, hidden inside the ventilations... We both saw our modified metabolism by many experiments : me by drugs and a mutagenic bite, him by the Super Soldier Serum. Because of this, no one has ever managed to stand up against him for more than a few seconds, not even a man with a body similar to his own. His superhuman abilities and intense eyes were enough to make any victim who had the misfortune of crossing his path tremble with fear. Even the most arrogant agents of the criminal organization feared him. That's why Barnes's elite killer reputation shouldn't be taken lightly... I took a deep breath and eased my mind.

_I must act quickly._ _If I am too slow,_ _he_ _will activate the alarm and HYDRA agents will replicate to kill me._ _I have only one chance._

When I heard the door open, revealing Barnes's familiar figure, my breath cut off in an instant. The soldier rested his weapons one after the other on the shelves, in a suffocating silence. Once his back was turned, I activated two smoke bombs hidden between two racks of sniper rifles at a distance. Barnes was taken by surprise and coughed hard. After the smoke blinded him, I tied him with my web to immobilize him. After that, I threw myself on him from behind before planting a syringe around his neck, the only part of his body where his skin was discovered. Once the product was inoculated, the man with the metal arm collapsed on the ground after ten seconds, unconscious. My breathing slowly calmed down. I then slowly approached him to take his pulse, to be sure he was still alive. Fortunately, his heartbeat was normal. I sighed with relief.

I took a moment to look at his face... He didn't look threatening without his mask on his mouth, or even dangerous. His features were fine, but at the same time marked. Since we were systematically monitored by the senior officers of HYDRA, it was impossible for agents to create relationships with others. Our duet training was the only time we could interact other than as robots... Barnes was patient with me, recognized my efforts, didn't hesitate to stop our sessions for me to rest and showed me a look tainted with empathy during those rare breaks. We couldn't speak - at least not much - but an eyes exchange was enough to communicate. He was a confidant for the little boy I was... And a mentor.

A man as heroic as him didn't deserve to see his name sink into oblivion. He didn't deserve to be treated as a weapon of mass destruction. It wasn't what he really was. James "Bucky" Barnes was a hero, not a killer. And if letting go of the single particle of light that remained of my cursed fate allowed me to save the life of a person I deeply respected, then this risky action was worth it.

I suddenly came back to reality when Barnes's breath became more regular. I immediately went back into the ventilations, all while removing my footprints, melt my webs with a button on my wristband and closing the gates carefully. I sneaked in the air ducts to escape, finding my landmarks with my spider senses. When I finally managed to get out of HYDRA's cell, a huge explosion echoed inside, followed by several gunshots. I went as far as possible from this war zone. When I returned to Ichor, I claimed in front of the chiefs that I had been ambushed by two SHIELD agents during my reconnaissance mission, several kilometers from the destroyed base. Given that the confrontations between the two organizations were very regular, this scenario seems plausible for them. They let me go without a hitch.

The day after this event, the Winter Soldier was gone. Several agents of HYDRA were found dead in the ruins of the secret cell, the vast majority of them shot or burned. The super soldier had totally escaped the radar of the criminal organization. His mental control was completely annihilated, at the same time erasing any possibility of bringing him back to their side.

Since that moment, the high instances of HYDRA gradually lost the illusion of control they thought they had. Irreversible damage multiplied : methodical raids by SHIELD, increasingly unstable databases, arrests or deaths of hundreds of agents and leaders, destruction of their military arsenal and their transport vehicles... The Hydra of Lerne began his slow agony, without finding out the origin or being able to stop it.

Several months after the volatilization of Barnes, an encrypted zone of HYDRA's computer core caught my attention because of its similarity to another zone that was on the SHIELD's computer core. The latter were particularly protected by numerous security protocols. But they were no match to my instinct and my decoding ability... After having realized various manipulations to have access to their contents, I learned the existence of a scepter having belonged to an Asgardian god named Loki. By thoroughly analyzing the two encrypted zones, the SHIELD version explained the operation of the object, while that of HYDRA was more provided on its design and its true function. It was a containment device for the Spirit Stone, from which the Scepter derives its powers. I discovered that Baron von Strucker had been in possession of this Scepter for a long time and that he had practiced experiments on many human subjects in order to change them into powerful soldiers. They've all lost their lives, except two twins : Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, from Sokovia.

I felt nauseated... HYDRA took advantage of the anger of all these people to fool them with a promise to empower them to "make justice themselves", and in the end they watch them deteriorate with indifference until they pass away after long suffering. How could these bastards commit such horrible deeds and continue to sleep at night ?

I didn't need to know more to conclude how these optimized twins could become dangerous if they let themselves be blinded by their hatred. They were both victims of manipulation, like Barnes.

And I was the only one to save them from this evil organization.

I left for Sokovia at dawn, pretending to my superiors that I had "detected" a small group of SHIELD agents who would have discovered the secrecy of the conflicts ravaging the country. Which was not entirely false, since there were indeed members of their nemesis on the place. I showed them evidence to confirm what I said, and then they let me join Eastern Europe, telling me to give them the exact position of the agents so that HYDRA's assassins could eradicate them. Except that I had no intention of stopping SHIELD... At the same time, they had engaged several simultaneous raids on HYDRA bases all around the globe, which was a perfect diversion for me. Nevertheless, as the Avengers also fought with SHIELD, this distraction wouldn't last long. It was only a matter of days or even hours. I had to act at the HYDRA Research Base before they arrived.

The fortress was not far from Novi Grad, where I had to use cunning to escape the violent fighting on the city. It was obvious that such an important and strategic complex for HYDRA was heavily defended, being equipped with an energy shield and improved turrets to fire overpowering shots. And that wasn't counting machine guns, tanks, trucks and jetpacks. However, nothing was unbreakable for a virus of my kind... I managed to escape the vigilance of the agents of HYDRA on the spot while passing by the forest which surrounded the base. When I got close to the research center, I used a bomb to attract the guards to a specific point, then another one to open a breach and infiltrate me inside. It didn't take long for the armed forces to deploy everywhere in the complex, ready to attack the intruder or intruders who entered their landmark.

I paced the ventilations in search of the Maximoff twins. Two similar and abnormal aura made me go up to them, on the other side of the fortress. Both were locked in cells, experimenting their new abilities, probably acquired by the Scepter exhibition. The young man possessed superhuman speed, while the young woman seemed to have many mental powers in view of her ability to levitate objects by telekinesis and crush them. I felt cold sweat running down my forehead... Although they looked inexperienced at first, these two twins were no less masters of their extraordinary capacities. I hardly dared to imagine the dangerous fight that would be waiting for me if I had to face them together. Nevertheless, seeing them shut in between four narrow walls reminded me of the first time I woke up in this gray room after my kidnapping. This feeling of being deprived of freedom, that an obscure force tore us our free will to reduce us into laboratory rats or manipulable puppets... It was disgusting.

I put a gas mask on my mouth, took out two small capsules of narcoleptic gas, and placed them in front of the ventilation grids of the cells of the Maximoff twins before activating them. The smell spread quickly between their walls, and before they could react or understand what was happening, the two prisoners collapsed on the ground after a few seconds, unconscious. I felt a little guilty of using the same method as the spy who took me out of the orphanage, but unlike the latter, I didn't want them to do anything wrong. I later cut off all the energy sources of the Research Base and locked them with a complex system to hide my presence. I entered Pietro's cell, then slipped a USB stick and a message into a pocket of his black jacket. It contained all the information about the illegal activities of HYDRA in Sokovia and their responsibility for the conflicts that ravage their country. If he and his sister were to be recovered by the Avengers, they will know the faces of their real enemies. Maybe they would become heroes by their side... That was all I wanted for them. I left immediately in the vents to escape, although shaken by the various waves of explosions that made the pipes roar. Once outside, I took the path back to the forest and I ran out of breath without ever turning back. I came back to Ichor in the middle of the night.

I learned a few days later listening to a discussion between two senior officers that the HYDRA Research Base in Sokovia had collapsed. The Avengers took the Scepter and Baron Von Strucker was captured by SHIELD. The Maximoff twins had also mysteriously disappeared, like Barnes.

HYDRA had lost all its strategic bases, as well as its most powerful operants.

The Hydra of Lerne was now exhausted. Nothing could save him from death.

All the conditions for the implementation of the last phase of my plan have been fulfilled...

My revenge was finally coming to an end.


	5. Freedom

I looked up at the sky. He was entirely black, without stars or constellations. The only thing shining in the darkness was the full moon.

The Pacific Ocean was huge, and its waters extended beyond the horizon. It was a strategic point for HYDRA to create military and underwater bases. The most important complexes were listed with a name like "Tsunami" or "Nemesis", while the smaller ones were listed by a number. There was an 'extension' of Ichor a few kilometers from it : an iceberg-shaped base serving as a warehouse for submarines. Most of the foundation was submerged in the water, while a high-rise glass dome was raised to the surface. Of course, the glass dome dived under the ocean at dawn to hide its presence. There were only ten guards responsible for its maintenance all year, day and night. I was able to dispose of them without real problem because they weren't known for their fighting skills.

In my right hand was a remote control. An explosive device.

Yes... I was going to burst HYDRA into fireworks. Not just Ichor, no... All the bases around the world that escaped SHIELD's nets were going to be destroyed in one shot.

During my infiltrations into the organization's stockpiles of materials, I had discovered a metal box that looked strangely like the ones my spy unit have stolen from Oscorp. There were thousands of small fuses no larger than 5 centimeters and a remote control. I was curious... I scanned the barcode located at the back of the box, and the small items revealed to be modified cartridges filled with HMX - one of the most powerful explosives on earth. After searching for information on the latter, I found out that HYDRA scientists had used extraterrestrial materials to make them more powerful and stable. And according to their report of experiments, three fuses were enough to collapse a building of several floors. Their destructive abilities were simply phenomenal. Even on the other side of the globe, the cartridges exploded in sync with waves scattered through a space satellite of the criminal organization. Twisted, but clever... Another detail that I noted : the fuses remained in "sleep" until the remote control has been activated. Even exposed to shocks or high temperatures, they didn't explode on their own.

I first had the idea to give them to SHIELD, when a thought crossed my mind... HYDRA only knew how to create war machines, whether material or human. Me, Barnes, the Maximoff twins... How many tragedies and broken fates had they engendered in the name of immoral goals ? Surely way too much to count them...

_HYDRA killed my family under cover of an explosion._ _T__hen I will send them back_ _the_ _flames._

I stole the contents of the metal box as I moved through the various bases of the criminal organization. America, Asia, Europe... The missions that the chiefs of HYDRA submitted to me helped me a lot to go from one place to another. Every time I found myself in a secret cell, I put the fuses in places where the chain reaction would be the most effective, such as piping or electricity supplies. It was a long test of patience.

In the end, the SHIELD will have done most of the work with their many raids. Many explosive cartridges were found by the agency and then deactivated. On more than a thousand bases scattered on the planet, only forty remained. The last roars of the Hydra of Lerne.

It took me three years to reach this day. Three years to survive under the hooks of these demons who have turned my destiny upside down. Three years to avenge the death of my family.

I looked at the date that was displayed on the screen of my phone.

It was August 15th.

I had just turned 15 years old.

HYDRA killed the people I loved five days after my birthday - August 10 - seven years ago. This day of August 15th was the one that marked the end of my carefree childhood. But it was now going to marked the end of my revenge.

Before I finally left this cursed place, I sent a last message to SHIELD as Caïn.

_**"These are my last words.**_ _**HYDRA is about to sink.**_ _**I know how to put an end to their existence... And when that happens, only ash and dust will remain.**_ _**Before that, I wanted to warn you that**_ _**a**_ _**submarine warehouse still existed in the Pacific Ocean.**_ _**A tracer deposited by me will allow you to arrest the last agents of HYDRA still alive.**_ _**I was honored to have helped you.**_ _**Farewell."**_

I looked at the ocean, eyes lost in the void... Then I activated the device.

A huge column of water several meters high suddenly appeared above the waves. Although the sound of the explosion was stifled by the sea, I could clearly hear a bang resonate into the abyss. It was the certainty I needed to understand that the fuses had worked. Then, I looked at my tracking device which had listed all the HYDRA bases still standing around the globe, including Ichor... The blue crosses representing them became red, and a single word appeared on the screen : "exterminated".

... It was over.

The Hydra of Lerne was dead.

I contemplated the water column become waves again... I had next the reflex to take out my pendant to look at it. The crystal sparkled with a light glow, emanating heat from the palm of my hand. I didn't know if it was only the reflection of the brightness of the moon or if it was a sign of fate... Honestly, I didn't care. I had avenged my parents, Ben and May. It was all that mattered to me.

As I said in my last message, I leaved one of my tracers to let SHIELD take over this foundation. I made sure to erase my existence from the memory of the unconscious guards before heading to the submarine reserve. Many were military vehicles, but there were also small calibres suitable for one or two people. One of them had just been renovated and was planned for long journey. His circular shape made me think of the Falcon Millennium, with the difference that he couldn't go at light speed. Too bad... However, he had substantial energy allowing him to remain in optimal capacity for several days, as well as an emergency ejection capsule. I had already seen agents from my former spy unit piloting this kind of gear, so I knew how to take control of these machines. I didn't have any other choice, anyway. I went inside the submarine, programmed the parameters to show him the way to the United States, activated him and then fled from the warehouse. When the base disappeared from the radar, all the pressure on my shoulders evaporated like the smoke of a candle.

Shortly after I left, I let out a yawn. My eyes were struggling to stay open, and my body was about to crumble on the ground. Insomnia had become my daily life since the day I discovered the truth about the murder of my family. I stopped counting the sleepless nights with my hacks, the improvement of my uniform and the creation of gadgets. Sleep was a luxury that few HYDRA agents could afford. A lot of them sacrifice the softness of Morpheus's arms to escape the inquisitive eyes of the senior officers. Survival instinct took over our own desires. But those red chains that hindered me no longer existed. I didn't have to fool myself anymore.

I activated the autopilot mode of the submarine, so that he could sail independently during the night. I then retired to a private room, and I fell asleep the second my head landed on the pillow. My body relaxed... And as strange as it may seem, no nightmare came to haunt me. Not even a dream or a memory. My mind was totally empty. Once rested, I returned to the cockpit to regain control of the submarine.

It took me 20 days to cross the ocean. 20 days to refrain eating except in case of extreme necessity, drinking water to make up for the lack of food and praying that the elements don't turn against me. The trip was long... And yet, by an unexpected miracle, I finally reach Ocean Beach, a popular beach in San Francisco. I almost fainted of joy when I saw the city. That said, a small submarine docking out of nowhere on the sand wasn't very inconspicuous, especially in front of people... I had to wait until night to get closer to Ocean Beach. About four kilometers from the beach, I saw that the energy of the maritime vehicle was almost exhausted. I then set up the ejection procedure of the emergency capsule. Once I had gathered the few things I had, I gave up a little bomb behind me before propelling me out of the submarine. The latter exploded a few seconds after I left, reducing the vehicle into a thousand pieces. The capsule went to Ocean Beach at the speed of a missile, which shake me in the little space around me.

In less than five minutes, the frantic race stopped abruptly. There was no movement. I came out of the capsule completely sounded, as if my head had been hit with a hammer, and my body was struggling to move properly. I end up falling on the ground after a few steps. My breathing gradually faded as my senses got used to the new environment. The touch of the sand on my fingers and the wind caressing my skin gave me a feeling of relaxation...

_I'm free._

A tear ran down the side of my right eyelid. One single tear, symbol of this newfound freedom.

Once my soul completely relaxed, I got up to shelter in an alley of San Francisco, having previously destroyed the emergency capsule. However, I couldn't sleep... The cold pavement and the wet air that emerged from the ventilations quickly brought me back to the cruel reality of my condition : an orphan without identity. Could I still consider myself a human being after all the horrors that overwhelmed me ? I wore what looked vaguely like clothes, but I felt like I couldn't recognize my own body because I had been reduced to a test subject for so long.

I sighed. The noise of the traffic and the bits of discussion of people came and went without I paid the slightest attention. I stayed there, folded on myself, passive.

Shortly before sunrise, I came out of the alley in search of a mall to pick up some unsold clothes and shoes, a backpack and a black health mask hiding my face. I then went to the bathroom to change myself, wearing a blue night shirt, a turquoise sweatshirt, a purple red jacket, jeans, white socks and gray sneakers. It made me very funny to take off my spy uniform to put on 'ordinary clothes' - although I kept my optimized wristbands. I took a moment to look at my reflection on a mirror... My skin was pale, almost livid, my brown hair were curled, and my deep brown eyes were close to black. I looked like a doll. The cold colors of my outfit reinforce this ghostly aura that surrounds me.

I became "nobody" again.

I sneaked out by the emergency exit, avoiding the security agents who had just arrived, taking care to erase all traces of my presence before leaving. Downtown San Francisco had just woken up. I then took the direction of a park to shelter under a tree, out of sight. My eyes were lost in the orange sky, my head empty of all thought. Hatred and revenge were my only reason for living during these three long years under the chains of HYDRA... And now that it was accomplished, I had nothing. No roof, no relatives, no landmarks. I was completely lost...

Time passed slowly, and the sun was gradually emerging through the clouds. I finally sighed after an hour and a half, tired of taking my head with unanswered questions. Mope on my fate was useless. What's the point ? Leading a normal life, like any teenager of my age, seemed impossible to me since the day HYDRA derailed my destiny. The dreamy little boy I was died along with my family, and had definitely disappeared when the radioactive spider turned me into a mutant.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

_I am no longer Peter Parker._ _I am Thomas Flanders, an_ _orphan_ _without a past._ _Since I didn't exist for the world, then I will lead a cat life._

Embracing fully this new identity, I finally leave the park and return to another alley of the city. Although I have no problem with the urban environment, I wasn't really familiar with San Francisco. I only went there once when I was younger, and barely twice during an undercover mission. Moreover, its proximity to the Pacific Ocean reminded me of my imprisonment at the bottom of the sea and all the tortures that HYDRA inflicted on me... So I made the decision to go back to where I was born : New York.

Since the metropolis was on the other side of the country, I already removed the option of the plane. It wasn't easy to deceive the security of an airport. I would get caught before even getting inside an Airbus. Stealing a helicopter was also out of the question because it wouldn't have the capacity to travel thousands of miles in one fly, therefore being easily detectable from the sky. There was only one solution for this problem : the highway. Even without a license, I could drive. And if the transport ever broke down on the way, I would only have to find another one or look for alternatives.

In war as in war, as Barnes would say.

And so began a new journey. I followed bus lines and used motorcycles, city after city, state after state, being careful to never get caught by the authorities. I crossed Nevada and Colorado, passing through Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania. So many different landscapes and scenery that made my trip a little more peaceful... Nevertheless, even with the greatest vigilance in the world, I have sometimes faced criminals who thought that attacking a lonely teenager in isolated areas of the population was a good idea. I eliminated them with my powers. I would beat them up until they were unconscious, and then erase their memory before the police arrived and arrest them. Fortunately, this case was very rare, and my journey continued like a long calm river.

Six days later, New York finally appears in my field of vision. Arrived in New Jersey, I could see from the roof the Big Apple hidden through the mist. I was sitting on the edge of a building for an hour, contemplating this show straight out of a dream... Four years ago, I was convinced that I would never see the metropolis again. I refused to cling to falsely comforting illusions that would only deepen my wounds. No torture was more painful in the hell that was HYDRA than hope. And yet, here I am back, several years after my kidnapping. A vague sensation of serenity recovered my soul.

Once again, I went to a subway station to see if it was possible to join New York from New Jersey. Luckily, the PATH network actually connected the two cities. I used the few money I had kept to buy a ticket to the World Trade Center. The trip lasted about fifteen minutes. When I returned to the surface, I was greeted by a dazzling sun, illuminating the buildings of Manhattan in the middle of the afternoon. I had forgotten the frenzy and the constant activity of the New York streets, and I almost fell after a few meters.

_Better not stay here..._ I thought, holding firmly the hans of my backpack.

I spent most of the day walking around the metropolis to find and record all the alleys where I could stay the night on my phone. When dusk slowly began to set, I recognized the reddish color of Brooklyn. As I walked through the streets, old scenes played out in my memory... I remembered when I went to school with my old comrades from the orphanage, our outings through the borough and our movie nights in the hallway. It all seemed so far away...

Out of curiosity, I took the path I used to take to return to Forescent. Something inside me pushed me back there... I wanted to shut that doubt that dulled my mind. I chose to tear the veil of lies and face reality, as cold as it is. Slowly and somewhat apprehensive, I was walking up Brooklyn Heights to the address of my old shelter. And once there, I gasped.

The orphanage no longer existed.

The institution had been replaced by a six floored residential building with the same architecture as the surrounding houses. The courtyard had disappeared, and there was no trace of the former children's dormitories.

It doesn't surprise me that much. Four years have passed since my absence. Things had changed during this time. However, I suspected that the disappearance of Forescent was far from a coincidence... HYDRA had no reason to take an interest in the orphanage once they found their future young agents, and probably destroyed the building under the form of an "unfortunate accident". A dark scenery that reminded me of the destruction of my old home in Queens seven years ago... I shook my head, bitter, and then I walked to another way.

The night appeared faster than I expected. The tiredness of all these days of wandering fell on me like a ton of bricks and gradually weighed down my body with each step. My head hurt and I felt dizzy. If my enhanced metabolism was helpful in terms of physical resistance and healing regeneration, it exhausted me much faster when I couldn't eat regularly. In addition, my superhuman abilities were greatly reduced.

My walk took me to Cobble Hill, a quiet neighborhood. It was one of the safest places in Brooklyn, where violence and crime were very rare. Few shops remained open, but their lights helped me to guide me through the darkness. As I approached a restaurant that seemed recently built, I saw silhouettes about the same size as me out. Panicking, I ran to an adjacent alley. This effort finished exhausting my last strength, and my legs fell on the ground.

The unpleasant smell of trash in the back of the alley made me want to throw up, finally resulting in a few sputum mucus. Despite the mild temperature of the summer nights, my body remained cold... For a short time, I was afraid that the strangers had spotted me run like a hare, but when my spidey senses stayed silent for several seconds, I let out a sigh of relief. I then pick up my phone to check the time. The clock indicated past midnight.

_It's late…_

I no longer had the energy to get up. So I tried to find a more or less comfortable position to rest against the wall behind me, and then I fell asleep under a soothing silence, letting tiredness take me away.


	6. New start

When I started to wake up, I was surprised by the strange feeling of comfort that surrounded my body. I was perfectly lying down, even though I vaguely remembered falling asleep at the corner of a dark alley. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. I realized that I was no longer in the street but in a room. The walls were dark blue and the room was composed of few furnitures : a bookshelf with a few books, a closet, a desk and a chair. It was a simple guest room, but it was much more spacious and warm than my old gray cell. I was also reassured to see that my backpack was right at the foot of the bed.

Once I was fully awake, the door opened slowly. A young man drew himself through the coaching : hardly older than me, tall, a white long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, light brown and short hair, white skin and crystal blue eyes. We stared at each other for several seconds, which time stopped spinning. I was suddenly assailed by an impression of déjà-vu. An oval face, square and smooth features... I knew only one person who have such physiognomy. The more I watched him, the more obvious it became. He too seemed to have the same trouble as me...

Silence suddenly fell. So I decided to ask him this question that burned my lips.

\- **Leon** **?**

My voice was weak, but audible. The young man's eyes widened in surprise, releasing the doorknob he was still holding with his right hand. I had a bad feeling... I didn't know what happened to my former comrades after our orphanage disappeared. Did they find parents ? Were they still in New York ? Was this boy really Leon ? So many questions that shot into my head at once... Cold sweat ran down my forehead, hidden by my bangs. And as I began to get nervous, the young man started to spoke.

\- **Thomas** **?**

This time, it was my turn to look stunned. I recognized this reassuring and thoughtful voice. In addition, he had pronounced the name "Thomas" in a blast, without contradicting my question. Only those who lived in Forescent knew the names of the residents of the institution. And if there were orphans who remembered the surname "Thomas Flanders", it could only be my fifteen companions of misfortunes. I linked these clues like the stars of a constellation... And I had no more doubt.

The one who brought me back to this room was Leon East.

The latter approached a few steps towards me, a bit hesitant.

\- **Tom... Is that you** **?**

My throat was tied... Only my friends called me by this nickname. Unable to answer him, I wanted to get up to see him more closely, but I felt dizzy and nearly fall. Leon ran at full speed and took me in his arms before my head crashed on the ground.

\- **Watch out** **!** **You are still** **weakened****.**** You better stay** **in bed****.**

I could only accept the proposal, my body barely able to stand up straight. I leaned my back against the pillow to keep a comfortable position, while my friend sat on the edge of the bed. He then asked me several questions about our common memories, to make sure that I was Thomas Flanders. It didn't come out of nowhere... Four years had passed without me showing any sign of life, and Leon wasn't a guy who believe the first idiot pretending to be his missing best friend. So I played the game to prove the authenticity of my statements. The interrogation lasted for an hour. As we talked, remembrances came back one after the other in my memory, and I managed to answer each of his questions correctly, even the most accurate ones. After having the confirmation that I was sincere, Leon began to cry with joy and pressed me very hard against him. I had a hard time holding back my tears as I saw him in that state, and I hugged him silently.

\- **Tom... I'm so happy to see you again... I missed you.**

\- **I missed you too...**

My partner in crime suddenly noticed that I had lost a lot of weight. He advised me to take a shower while he was preparing breakfast. I nodded slightly. Leon lent me spare clothes consisting of a gray shirt and black pants, then I headed to the bathroom to wash myself. I felt invigorated as the hot water ran down my skin... Once clean and dressed, I returned to the living room to join Leon, who greeted me with a smile. The table was littered with bacon, fried eggs, toast, pancakes, juices and more. I didn't know how he had cooked so fast, but contemplating all this food made me want to drool. I took three whole plates to regain strength, savoring with delight this meal, under the amused glance of my friend.

When I was finally satiated, Leon told me what happened to Forescent. At the time of the daily recall where all the children from the dormitories meet in the corridors, the boys immediately noticed that I wasn't there and warned Mrs. Sandfield. However, before the staff of the intitution starts looking for me, a fire was suddenly declared and the flames spread quickly from the central building to the orphans's dormitories. Fortunately, there were no victims, although wounded persons were deplored. The incident was publicized throughout the country, and even though the police had investigated to determine the origin of the orphanage's inflammation, the author of the tragedy was never identified. Nevertheless, after reviewing the newspaper articles kept by my friend, it became obvious to me that HYDRA was responsible of this accident.

When the fire was completely under control, another task awaited the authorities : placing the sixty or so surviving children in new institutions. Since everything had burned under the flames, it was necessary to make a long and complex transfer request, know where to take the orphans, not to mention the financial means to take care of them.

\- **It took a month of discussion to relocate all the children.** _Leon explained._ **We fifteen were lucky** **to** **stay** **together** **in New York,** **but the** **others were forced to go to a nearby province because of lack of space.**

\- **Did you stay in Brooklyn?**

\- **Yes.** **We just changed neighborhoods.** **However, our new accommodation** **was** **not so as** **peaceful as** **Forescent...** **The average age of the children who lived there went from four to seven years old.** **At that time, we were already eleven and twelve years old, making us** **the "oldest" residents of the orphanage.** **And it** **wasn't counting** **our status of precocious children... For the managers of the institution, we were already "tall" and** **"mature".** **Because of that, they didn't see the interest of getting interested in us.**

\- **And how did you do for middle school** **after the fire** **?**

\- **The establishment hadn't afford to send us elsewhere in Brooklyn, so we had** **to** **continue our schooling** **on site,** **with private teachers.** **And even with excellent grades and** **ingenious and creative** **practical work,** **we felt abandoned by the adults... They didn't insult us, they didn't hit us, they didn't** **judge** **us, but they didn't really seem to understand us.** **So we grew up on marge of the orphanage,** **without any real support to get back on our feet.**

The end of his speech turned my guts upside down... I discreetly balled my fists under the table and kept my head down, too afraid to support the view of Leon. Unfortunately, this guy didn't need words to know when I wasn't alright.

\- **Tom** **?** **What's wrong** **?**

I couldn't answer him. The words didn't want to come out of my mouth. I could only bite my lower lip anxiously... Leon stood up and gently put his hand on my shoulder. I took a short time before looking up at him : There was no judgment or mercy in his eyes, just kindness and attention, although I guessed worry in the depths of his irises. I hesitated for a moment to look away again, but I ended up gathering the fragments of courage I had left to finally speak again.

\- **I'm sorry...** **I feel like it's my fault, what happened to you...**

My friend was somewhat surprised by my confession. However, he quickly recovered his senses and his hand tightened a little more on my shoulder.

\- **It's not your fault, Tom.** **Nobody could have predicted that a kidnapping was going to happen** **in Forescent, or even that it would cause** **the** **explosion of our old shelter.** **It was only a sad combination of circumstances, and nothing else.**

When I think back about it, it wasn't really wrong... At that time, I wasn't aware of the existence of HYDRA and why they were interested in precocious kids. I had lived in the orphanage for three years without any incident, how could I have known that I would be kidnapped by a criminal organization that had previously targeted my parents ? Well, even if I knew that HYDRA was spying me, I wouldn't have been able to do anything against them... I sighed as I had the habit, then I put my hand on Leon as a sign of approval.

\- **Hey...** _I started in a low voice._ **It came a bit out of nowhere, but... how did you know it was me in the alley** **?**

My friend paused before speaking again.

\- **I saw in the distance a shadow running between two narrow buildings, and that intrigued me.** **I was surprised when what I thought was a stray cat was actually a boy around my age.** **I** **then** **used my phone with low light to see who it was, and your features seemed so familiar that I was shocked.** **I also saw a thread hanging around your neck... I approached slowly to be able to observe it, and... I recognized your pendant.**

My eyes widened when I heard the mention of my necklace.

_My_ _crystal_ _pendant... Of course._ _I showed it to my comrades when we were alone in_ _the school yard._ _I was the only child in Forescent to have such a jewel, not to mention the fact that I never parted from it._ _If there was one thing that could definitely prove my identity, it was this object._

\- **These two elements** **convince** **me** **it was perhaps you, Thomas Flanders.** **So I brought you home with the strength of my arms.** **I wasn't going to leave you out, after all** **!**

I didn't know if I should be impressed by the fact that Leon had managed to transport me to his apartment, or that my walk the night before would have lead me to my partner in crime. Not knowing what to say, I sighed lowering my gaze, which didn't seem to bother my friend who began to pat my shoulder that he always supported with his hand.

A soothing silence fell, until my attention focused on the ticking of the living room's clock. I looked up to see the positioning of the needles. They indicated 9 am. Leon did the same.

\- **Already nine o'clock** **?** **I did not see the time pass.**

\- **... Now that I think about it, I don't know what day it is.** _I confessed_ _in a small voice._

\- **It's Friday.** **But I start my work around 1 pm and a half, so it's okay.**

_Work_ _?_

I looked at Leon with a slightly surprised look. My comrade noticed my misunderstanding and continued.

\- **I work** **as a waiter** **in a restaurant that** **opened** **at Copple Hill, the** **"Orange Sunset".** **It's been two years since** **I've been employed there.** _My friend sat back in his chair._

\- **It means that you have been emancipated** **?**

\- **Yes.** **The** **Orange Sunset boss, Cameron Owen,** **came to** **our institution** **one day** **and** **was** **intrigued by** **the presence** **of** **teenagers** **in an orphanage mostly composed of young children.** **When he knew why we were here,** **Mr.** **Owen quickly sympathized with us and suggested to the administration** **that we work part time for his** **newly built** **restaurant.** **The orphanage agreed, and we alternated between our classes and our** **job** **until we could sign emancipation papers.**

\- **I see.**

Although Leon keeps smiling, I guessed in his words that he and the others had abandoned the idea of being adopted a long time ago. Few host families were inclined to want teenagers, even more when they are precocious. Emancipation was often the only way for young orphaned adults to try to find a place in society.

\- **Once we were independent, Mr. Owen officially hired us as full-time employees** **at the** **Orange Sunset.** **He also helped us in our housing process.** _Leon drank orange juice to quench his thirst._

\- **You mean that it was thanks to him that you were able to settle here** **?**

\- **That's ****right.** **He settled everything for each of us** **: Apartment, schedule, salary... Everything** **!** **He is a true philanthropist, benevolent and altruistic.**

\- **Wow...** _I was speechless._

My partner in crime watched me for a short time and then, after putting his drink on the table, stared straight into my eyes and asked me :

\- **Would you like to see him this afternoon** **?**

I was shocked. I was so used to hiding in the shadows that I finally apprehend the moment when I had to show myself in the light again. The idea to approach people again after so many years of isolation froze me with terror... I balled my fists under the table and bit my lower lip. Leon noticed my doubts right away.

\- **Are you okay, Tom** **?** _He asked me with a hint_ _of worry_ _in his voice._

\- **... I ... I don't know if I** **feel** **able to** **go outside.**

-** Why ?**

This question made me realize that I hadn't told him what happened to me after my kidnapping. I had carefully avoided any mention of this dark period that I spent in the depths of the sea. A part of my mind didn't want to reveal the descent into hell that I lived, but I didn't have the courage to lie to him... It would be unfair after all he did for me. So I decided to tell him a small part of my misadventures of the last four years : my imprisonment in a group of criminals, the constraint of obeying the orders of my executioners, the survival instinct in constant alert, my rebellion and my flee... I made sure to weave a plausible story while leaving some plotholes. Unfortunately, Leon could read in me like an open book. He suspected that I didn't tell him everything. Despite my impassive face and assured tone of voice, I knew that my experience as a former spy was useless on him... I finally give in after long minutes of hesitation, and I showed him my powers by climbing on the ceiling without the slightest effort and falling back on the ground without hurting myself. My partner in crime looked at me with big eyes at this revelation.

There was a moment of flutter during which only the ticking of the clock sounded. Then Leon got up again and faced me, seeming to have recovered his spirits.

\- **Tom ...** **These powers... Is this group of criminals who...** **?**

\- **No.** **It's a radioactive spider that bit me and changed me into a mutant.** **But I was tortured before by these** **assholes...** _Just thinking_ _about the __"__punishments__"_ _that_ _HYDRA_ _inflicted on me_ _gave me nausea._

I couldn't say more. But it was enough for Leon to understand that what I told him was real. He then took me gently in his arms without me suspecting anything. Not knowing what to do, I patted his back with one of my hands. After several seconds of silence, Leon released me and gave me a smile, which surprised me. I was expecting him to get upset after learning everything I had tell him, but that wasn't the case.

\- **Hm ... Are you okay** **?** _I asked_ _with_ _a mix of_ _fear_ _and misunderstanding._

\- **Yes, why** **?**

\- **You... You don't think I'm crazy** **?** **You believe this whole story** **?**

\- **Come on, Tom** **!** **Who do you think I am** **?** _Leon replied with a falsely offended look._ **I am your best friend.** **How could you possibly think that I wouldn't believe anything you told me** **?**

\- ... **I** **... I don't scare you... With my** **powers** **?**

He paused, then his smile widened.

\- **We live in a world where** **extraterrestrial** **invasions** **and Nordic gods exist, and where beings with great powers form the badass team of superheroes ever.** **The fact that you became a mutant is the last thing that can scare me.**

This answer removed an enormous weight on my shoulders. Even after so many years that have passed, Leon hadn't changed... He was always the kind boy with an unwavering faith and a big heart that I knew as a child. Even in front of the unbelievable, he believed in his friends more than anything. I gave him a hug as a sign of relief, and Leon returned the gesture.

After that, we sat down on the couch to find out what we were going to do for the day. Since Leon had to go to the Orange Sunset early in the afternoon to start his waiter service, it would be better if I met Mr. Owen at that time to chat with him. Despite my reluctance to leave the apartment, my partner in crime assured me that I had nothing to fear from this man. Curiosity took over my doubts and I ended to accept the proposal. Leon called his boss and explained that he would like to introduce him "a trustworthy person" in private, which he accepted. So we get out at 1 am, walking on the streets of Copple Hill, following by a summer breeze. The trip didn't last more than ten minutes on foot, and Leon told me that it was the same for his other colleagues who lived in residences near the restaurant.

After a short stroll, we finally arrived at the Orange Sunset. The building looked a lot like the Diners of the 50s : very long with two floors, stainless steel facades and large windows to attract the eyes of passersby. That said, the architecture of the building was more modern and adapted to our time. By carefully observing the interior of the restaurant through the glassworks, I could see some of the checkerboard floor and the bar, black tables and red armchairs lined up, red and golden neons lounging on white walls... The decoration was simple and warm, like a ray of sunshine. I was captivated to see such a beautiful Diner since I came back to New York.

Leon took me to the back of the Orange Sunset, and we rushed in the building through a door reserved for the staff. We were walking along a corridor until we reached the restaurant manager's office. A man was waiting for us : he was very tall - 1 meter 85, must have been just 40 years old, had a slender, elegant appearance, medium-length curly brown hair and a large beard, black glasses, modestly dressed in a dark blue shirt with rolled up sleeves, dark jeans and gray shoes. No doubt it was Mr. Owen. He greeted us with a smile.

\- **Hello, Leon.** _His deep voice was calm and soft._

\- **Hi, boss.** **It's going well at the reception** **?**

\- **Yes, everything is fine.** **Customers are here, as** **usual.**

\- **Cool** **!** **Another good day in sight** **!** _Leon didn't hide his enthusiasm, which made Mr. Owen giggled._

Looking at my partner in crime and his superior discussing together, Leon's words were confirmed before my eyes... A caring and protective aura surrounded Mr. Owen, similar to Ms. Sandfield when we were in Forescent. In addition, he treated his young employees with respect and humility. Just seeing my friend's beaming smile as he spoke to the adult was enough.

_When I think about it, Leon told me that he had been working for Mr. Owen for two years._ _By working on the same place every day, they ended up being close to each other beyond the_ _framework of boss and employee._

I suddenly realized that my spider sense didn't turn on in front of Mr. Owen. No matter how much I focused, no potential dangers were to be found around me. Part of my mind told me to stay on my guard, but my instinct thought the exact opposite... I was plunged into a kind of trance, my brain blurred by many thoughts, until I woke up when Leon put his hand on my shoulder.

\- **I have to go, Tom.** **I'll join my colleagues.** **We'll go back home together tonight, alright** **?**

\- **Okay.** _I simply replied._

We wave hands to each other, and then Leon left the room to begin his waiter service. I found myself alone with Mr. Owen. I slowly turned my head towards him, and he gently smiled at me.

\- **You are Thomas Flanders, right** **?**

\- **Yes, sir.** _I politely bowed_ _my_ _head._

\- **Nice to meet you, Thomas.** _Mr. Owen shook my hand._ **My name is Cameron Owen,** **and I'm** **the boss of this restaurant.**

\- **Nice to meet you.**

We then sit down on the chairs, facing each other, to get to know each other. I told him how I became an orphan after the fire of my old house in Queens, how were my years at the orphanage Forescent with my former fifteen comrades and what happened to me after my kidnapping without going into details. The adult listened attentively to my story without interrupting me. Afer my storytelling, Mr. Owen revealed to me that he was himself a former orphan who grew up in a boarding school in London since he was a kid, which the intelligence and natural charm touched rich American philanthropists passing through England, who adopted him at seven years old. He then redo his life in America, loved by his new family. However, he didn't like people letting orphaned children away for stupid reasons such as "they have no education" or "they are not normal". When Mr. Owen learned that an orphanage had been destroyed in New York, he wanted to know more about the survivors who had stayed there, and then came up with the idea of creating the Orange Sunset restaurant so they could help them having a normal life again. His project was a success, and people initially skeptical of being served by teenagers without families were quickly satisfied with their efficiency and sociability. The Orange Sunset thus became the only restaurant in the city with an entirely of young employees staff, and one of the best rated Diner in the district.

When he finished telling his story, all of my doubts about him melted away like steam. I understood better why Mr. Owen had so much kindness and empathy for those around him... He knew how hard it was for orphans to feel pitying or condescending looks permanently judging them. He had suffered too when he was young. And even if he was lucky enough to come across a good family, he didn't forget those who unfortunately didn't have the same luck like Leon. He preferred using his new wealth to help others and rebuild the lives of my comrades rather than for his own profit. And looking deeply into his eyes, I didn't detect malice or evilness... Mr. Owen was honest, in his words as in his gestures. My strained shoulders relaxed, and I sighed with relief.

\- **Are you okay, Thomas** **?** _He asked me, looking concerned_ _at my silence._

\- **Hm** **?** **Ah... Yes, sir.** **It's just that it's the first time in days that I've felt... Safe.**

Strange... I didn't think these words would come out so easily. But Mr. Owen obviously didn't need more explanation to understand what I thought.

\- **You had been through a lot, don't you** **?**

I nodded slowly. Then there was a moment of flutter, where no noise came to break the silence of the office.

\- **...** **Well, how about working** **here** **?**

This sentence took me by surprise, and I looked at Mr. Owen with a stunned look.

\- **You're a good boy, Thomas.** **I saw it right away.** **I trust my employees, and if Leon introduces me to someone worthy of interest, I have no reason to doubt his word.** **I don't** **want to leave** **a lonely teenager** **wander the streets like a thief.** **So in the name of Cameron Owen,** **heir of the** **Owen** **family** **and owner of the Orange Sunset restaurant, I pledge to** **help you.**

No word came out of my mouth... This man knew me only for a few hours, yet he agreed to take me under his wing without any hesitation. My mind spinned a hundred per hour, absorbing all the informations I had just learned... Then everything went blank. I realized how ridiculous I was to take my head for absurdly obvious things.

I was an orphan and without resources. I had certainly been able to survive for several days outside as a homeless person, but I knew that this situation would soon become unbearable for me. If I couldn't get a job, I will have neither roof nor money, and I will remain wandering aimlessly through the gutters of the city.

... I didn't like the coldness of the bitume.

I took a deep breath and stared at Mr. Owen straight in the eyes.

This man was a good person and offered me the opportunity to restore some order in my chaotic life, just as he did with my friends.

I don't have to think much longer to make my decision.

\- **I accept.**

Mr. Owen gave me a big smile, pleased to hear my approval. The adult held out his hand towards me.

\- **Welcome to the Orange Sunset, Thomas.**

I couldn't help but smirk in return, and I shook his hand to conclude our agreement.

We then spend the rest of the afternoon to schedule the program of the next days. The restaurant owner will give me a week-long trial period to familiarize me with my future job as a waiter, while he was going to take the steps so that I can install to Copple Hill. I will stay at Leon's house until I have my own apartment. I don't think my partner in crime would refuse to have a roommate, but I wanted to have my own private space. Time passed quickly, and before I could realize it, the twilight appeared through the curtains of the office window. Closing time was approaching. Mr. Owen then took the initiative to warn the customers with an interphone that the restaurant would close exceptionally early due to an interpersonal meeting. At 9 am and a half, the dinner became completely silent.

The adult asked me to wait for the restaurant to be cleaned and tidied before I could meet the other staff members. I took advantage of the moment the door closed to lower the hood of my gray sweatshirt. So I remained alone, looking right and left at the smallest details of the room. Some newspaper covers with the portrait of the Avengers were attached to a wall, along with pictures of said superheroes. On the opposite wall, there was a calendar and a dashboard showing the hours of service of the employees. As I stared at the photos of Earth's defenders more closely, I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard the door open. Leon and Mr. Owen exceeded the rectangular frame and made a sign to me to follow them.

As we walked down the corridors, I began to wonder how my old comrades would react when they saw me... Leon recognized me right away, but I don't think it would be the same for them. I looked apprehensively at my best friend, which he noticed right away. He moved closer to me and patted my shoulder to reassure me. I took a breath, gradually regaining my courage, and followed Mr. Owen and my friend to a staff room. As I entered into the room, I suddenly felt several glances towards our direction. My blood turn at full speed...

Apart from Mr. Owen, there was no adult. There were only young people between 15 and 17 years old who wore the same waiter uniform. Eight girls and seven boys, counting Leon. Years passed, yet I remembered those familiar faces staring at me... How could we forget people with whom we shared a part of our life in an environment governed by collective life ? I didn't need to hear their voices to recognize my old comrades : Noah, Evan, Sebastian, Allen, Caleb, Jonathan, Phoebe, Amber, Rebecca, Ellen, Kenna, Lauren, Meghan and Jessie. Some had cut their hair, others let it grow. Some had become giants, others had a size similar to mine. Their physical attributes had grown, but I had no trouble knowing who is who.

There was a silence. A long silence that reminded me of the first time I woke up at Leon's guest room. I read in their eyes that they have an idea of who I was, but they didn't know how to pronounce it with words. I didn't know either how to break the ice to get myself out of this somewhat distressing situation. I tried with all my strength not to panic by paying attention on my breathing.

After several seconds that seemed to have lasted an eternity, one of the girls decided to take the first step and walked towards me. She didn't take her eyes off mine, her red hair falling on the back of her neck, then gently put her hands on my cheeks. This physical contact made me instantly motionless. The girl continued to contemplate me, while I looked closely at her face... A aquiline and tapered nose, perfectly drawn lips, shining brown eyes, thin and black eyebrows, pale skin... She was as beautiful as in my memories.

And then…

\- **Thomas** **?**

A soft and considerate voice. Like the one I remembered when I was young...

I felt a tear run down my cheek. The warm palms of the girl against my skin softened my frozen features. All anxiety disappeared from my heart and was instead replaced by a wave of serenity. My lips curved into a smile and I answered with a clear, loud voice :

\- **I'm home, Phoebe.**

Again, silence fell. Phoebe's eyes widened, then her surprised expression quickly turned into a moved face, tears appearing at the corner of her eyelids. She then wrapped her arms around my waist and clung to me as if her life depended on it, restraining herself with all her strength not to burst into tears. I repeated the gesture almost immediately. I heard sniffles sounding at the other end of the room... I didn't even have the time to looked up at the source of the noises that I saw my fifteen comrades heading towards me like a single man. Each of them wrapped around me and Phoebe to form a collective hug. Despite the hubbub, I managed to hear their words perfectly :

\- **Thomas** **!**

\- **It's really you, Thomas** **!**

\- **We knew you were alive** **!**

\- **We missed you so much** **!**

Now that the pressure had subsided, I took the time to cuddle them, one by one, relieved to be reunited with familiar presences. Leon, who had been by my side from the beginning, was the last to hug me, happy as ever. I rolled my eyes because he had already cuddled me when I woke up at his home, but I returned the gesture with a smile. Mr. Owen watched us with a fond look, also moved by the emotion.

It was the most beautiful night I have lived since the fall of HYDRA.

After this touching reunion, I began to get tired of the recent events that had just happened in one day. Then I asked to Leon if we could go home. He agreed with a nod. My comrades didn't insist on holding me back and wished me good night before I left. On the way home, my partner in crime told me he had told to the others what had happened to me during those four years while I was with Mr. Owen in his office. Of course, he kept himself silent about HYDRA and the fact that I became a mutant. I thanked him for this attention, although I was aware that Leon wasn't going to reveal all my secrets behind my back.

It was nearly 11 pm when we crossed the threshold of my friend's apartment. The latter locked the door, while I left to take something to eat in the kitchen. Since we had already dined a little earlier, I simply took an apple in the fruit basket and crunched it with full tooths. Leon then took the direction of the guest room to lend me pajamas, some clothes and a second toothbrush. He apologized for not having enough things in doubles, looking a little embarrassed, but I reassured him by saying that he had done nothing wrong and that I was grateful for all the help he has given me since he found me. He gave me a hug as a thank you, then we brushed our teeth before we wished each other good night and return to our rooms. A yawn escaped from my mouth. I put the pajamas that lay on the bed - with a scientific joke marked on the t-shirt, wrapped me under the blankets and plunged into a deep sleep that, for the first time in four years, was peaceful and restful.

And so, time passed.

My training week at the Orange Sunset went incredibly well. I was immediately acclimatized to the retro and colorful atmosphere of the restaurant and I learned in a short time the do's and don'ts as a waiter and cook thanks to my colleagues. Mr. Owen was pleased with my efforts and my good will, and officially employed me at the Diner. Shortly after, I obtained new identity papers, a passport and an apartment for myself. The days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. I felt more and more comfortable with my new job, and my relationship with my friends warmed up slowly. However, my past trauma gradually came back to haunt me... One day, when Mr. Owen saw me locked in the bathroom, in the midst of a panic attack, my spider powers appeared in front of him. Nevertheless, he wasn't shocked by this revelation. I learned afterwards that he was a former SHIELD agent who left the secret society a few years ago due to differences with the Director Nick Fury. I was at first surprised, but it made me able to calm down. Once fully relaxed, I told him everything that actually happened to me after my kidnapping in detail. Mr. Owen listened to me patiently, without judging me, and assured me solemnly that he didn't consider me as a monster but as one of his proteges, and that he would never think of hurting me. I was very scared that day to have revealed my mutant condition to someone other than Leon, but the turn of events finally ended well.

My boss later taught me meditation and relaxation through dance, techniques that my friends had practiced regularly for two years. I also went back to sport to keep my body in good shape and release stress. I finally took the initiative to make an appointment with a psychologist to discuss calmly with him when I needed it.

My trauma gradually faded from my memory, like flower petals, until I could live each new day without being paralyzed by dark thoughts.

A form of new start finally became possible for me.

However, I wasn't stupid...

No matter how much I tried to act like a normal teenager, I knew that my body was no longer quite human. I couldn't change this reality. Certainly, I had gained enhanced powers and abilities... But at what price ? A murdered family, friends that I lost in one night and an erased existence. It was that, "to be an exceptional individual" ? What a joke... I lost everything in exchange for this "difference".

Leon joked more than once that I could become a superhero with my spider powers, or even join the Avengers. Although I knew he was saying that with humor, I could feel behind his voice that he seriously thought about this possibility... Except that I didn't have the shape of a superhero. And even admitting that I can become one, the media will sooner or later find me and talk about me. I will become a "visible" character like Tony Stark, and the slightest wrong step could cost me a lot. I couldn't take the risk to reveal myself to the public. It was probably selfish of me to not use my powers to accomplish great things... But I wasn't made to be an exceptional individual like Iron Man or Captain America. Nobody would want a weakling who was conditioned to kill and who destroyed a criminal organization out of pure hatred as Earth's defender. If staying hidden was the only way to preserve the fragments of humanity that remained buried in the depths of my soul, then I will not hesitate to stay forever lurking in the shadows like a cat.

I don't expect anything from fate anymore. I will never cling to false hopes or false promises. Happiness and hope are worthless in this world of pessimism, antagonism and greed.

There will never be a happy ending for me.

Miracles don't exist.

* * *

_And so, this is the end of this prequel._

_As I said before, this is the first time I translated one of my stories. I hope it went well._


End file.
